a conversation

I was amazed that these seagulls didn't move when I popped out of my car. I had no intention of getting close but I thought the sound of the car door closing would cause a mass flight.

Hey seagulls, thank you for sharing your space!

calm

It was a good day for a quick wander in coastal New Hampshire.

boats anchored in the calm waters of Rye Harbor

frozen

Fallen oak leaves are embedded in ice.

water level

For the past several weeks I've been wondering why the level of the water in Field Pond was much lower than normal. As I walked today I met some folks who knew the answer. Apparently the state has started the process of repairing the nine dams and spillways in Harold Parker State Forest; the dam at Field Pond is currently under construction.

The dams were constructed 100 years ago to create man-made ponds.

While I prefer to see the ponds filled with water I have to admit the lower water level creates some interesting views. I walked today on land that is normally well below the water's surface.

speaking up

The subtitle of an article in Slate caught my eye today: One used to speak truth to power. Now, one speaks truth to nonsense.

I found the article "The Women Who Still Speak Up" to be very interesting. It features women who are standing up (and speaking up) to the craziness spawned by the current resident of the White House. Perhaps the introductory paragraph from the article will drawn you in as it did me.

Speak “truth to power”—this is how most people standing up to the constant disinformation and bullying of the Trump administration may have once reasonably described their task. Increasingly, though, that work is being honed and refined into something a bit more complicated: speaking truth to nonsense. It’s not so much holding up a mirror so that power can see what it’s become; it’s simply the job of creating a record, for history if nothing else, of what is actually happening.

I encourage you to read the article published in Slate on December 6, 2019.

Click to read The Women Who Still Speak Up.

a camellia

It always feels good to reach back to flowers on a cold winter day. A camellia in pink (from my early November visit to the greenhouses at Smith College) celebrates the day with bright color.

after snow

Cold air was replaced by almost warmth today as afternoon temperatures edged into the low 40s. Interesting clouds replaced the clear sky of the morning; it was a good time to walk in Harold Parker State Forest.

morning

Snow was still falling when I opened my eyes this morning, and light snow is still falling now.

I think we were lucky. I've seen snowfall total reports for the overall storm showing about 15 inches on the ground here; further west in the state there are places that received up to 24 inches.

white

This morning I looked out to a sea of white, snow! It appears that winter is here to stay.

waiting

No snow yet, but the forecast currently calls for between 8 and 14 inches of the white stuff between tonight and Tuesday with some ice accumulations thrown in to keep things interesting. Yikes!

While astronomical winter doesn't start for another three weeks, meteorological winter starts today. The temperature over the past days made it feel like winter, and the forecast for significant snow just adds to the feeling that the season is changing.

Meteorological Versus Astronomical Seasons

As I walked in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon I found that the ponds have started to wear a skim coat of ice. It's not thick enough for walking but the open water is gone.